I'll Stay With You
by Livmystories
Summary: Maura has made a difficult decision that will change her life forever. Will she finally realize that she doesn't have to solve her problems on her own anymore?
1. Chapter 1

Maura is sited on her desk in the leaving room looking at some papers. _When he falls, he falls hard._ She hears Jane's words echoing in her head. _So you can't mess with his heart, okay?_ She sighs, letting her head fall over her arm. _Shit!_ She gasps mentally. _Get a hold of yourself, Maura. You don't swear!_ Her head feels heavy when she forces herself back. She reaches for the glass of wine in front of her and is about to take a sip when the doorbell rings. _Please don't be Frankie, please don't be Frankie, please don't be..._ "Ian!"

She opens the door and Ian's eyes met hers with a desperate and passionate look. He didn't change a bit. At least not physically. He's still a handsome looking guy and the love of her life. _Isn't he?_

"Hi there!", _God! His smile melts my heart._

"Hi.", she says, but it's almost a whisper.

He drops his bag and holds her tight to him, pulling her for a kiss. A long and slow kiss. A kiss that she needed. A kiss that means love. In a moment they're in the hall and in the other they are on the couch, feeling each other, loving each other. Maura knows that after this all of her problems will still be there, but right now she can only think about the way she is being loved. _It's better this way. It would hurt so many people if it didn't work out and…_ Her thoughts are cut when she feels herself being lifted up in the air by two strong harms that will make her forget everything else. At least for now.

 _The investigation and research held by Dr. Jones proves that…_

Maura is starring at her computer monitor unable to write anything down. She should be writing a critic of a thesis well defended by a friend, but she can't develop it more than one sentence. An incomplete one, by the way. Her head is spinning from all of the events of the last days. Ian is gone. Forever. And, if his departure is not bad enough, he was a fugitive. She harbored a fugitive. _So clever Dr. Isles. You're so clever to find evidences where no one can, but you can't seem to see when people are using you. And who gets hurt? You! That's right! Nobody else! Just you!_ , and though her thoughts begin on the inside she starts to speak out loud without realizing, her frustration growing, and growing, and…

"Maura?", she looks up at the sound of a familiar voice. She freezes. "Are you alright?" Her eyes are lock on Frankie's and her mouth is moving, but nothing is coming out.

"Maura?", he moves further into her office putting the file he brought her over the table. He steps beside her, takes her hands in his owns and gets down to be at her level. "I know we haven't talked about what happened between us, but I want you to know that…", but she can't let him finish that sentence. Not now. So she cuts him of.

"Frankie… Please, don't do that. Don't say what you're thinking. I… I can't handle it right now." And she is out of the room like a thunder, living Frankie behind.

"You did WHAT?!" Jane yells has if the house is on fire. Well, it probably will be. Frankie is sited on his sister's couch, with a beer in his hands looking down at it. "You kissed Maura?! Like kiss, kiss? On the lips?" She tries not to yell, but the last word comes out as a high pitch sort of yell.

"Well, when you say you kissed someone is probably on the lips, otherwise you won't tell your sister about a random cheek kiss!" And because of this he gets a punch on the shoulder that should be playful, but comes out more painful than Jane thought it would.

"Autch! What was that for?"

"You don't get it do you?"

"No! It was so long ago…" And suddenly, it hits her.

"How long ago?"

"Uh… I-I don't know. Maybe… a month or so… Two? I'm not sure. What is wrong?"

"You're messing with her feelings, Frankie. That's why she's been acting weird." She sighs, calming down. She sits beside her brother looking to his hands too. "Do you remember the guy that is wanted for questioning by _Interpol_?" Frankie nods, not getting what she is trying to tell him.

"Well, that guy is Ian Faulkner. The love of Maura's life."

Silence.

"W-What? I…I had…no idea."

"Well, now you know." She waits for him to say something and when he doesn't, she continues. "I've been watching you guys, you know?" Frankie looks at her with is brown eyes open wide. "Not spying or something like that, but when you're together you're all giggles and touches and smiles. I know what's going on. At least in your head!"

And know it feels a good time to finally drink some of his beer. Or the whole bottle. Frankie drinks his beer all at once, without blinking. He gets up and puts the empty bottle on the kitchen table, turning to the door.

"I should probably go. Thanks for the beer, Janie." Jane is looking at him completely puzzled. Her mouth opens to call for his brother, but it's already too late. "Frankie!" He slams the door behind him.

"Hey Ma.", Frankie sits on one of the stools of the Division One Cafe. He looks pale, dark circles under his eyes. He plays with some napkin left on the table, distracted.

"What's wrong?" Angela approaches the table and sits in front of him.

"You always notice everything, don't you?"

"It's not difficult! You look like a sad puppy. Is that something to do with, uh… I don't know… Maura?" She looks at him with a grin and a curious look, and Frankie can't help it but smile. A sad smile.

"You know about Ian, right?"

"Yeah, Maura's colleague. He stopped by a month ago to _consult_ on a case and have some tea." Angela chuckles. "I didn't buy that one if that's what you're asking!" Frankie looks down at his hands, visibly uncomfortable.

"Oh, honey. You really like Maura don't you?" Frankie shots her a look to not speak so loud, looking around to see if someone has heard her.

"She has been acting so weird, and I barely see her when I'm home. I think she is sad and I think you should talk to her. Talk to her and tell her how you feel."

"I can't do that Ma! She doesn't even look at me since…" _Oh shit! I knew I shouldn't have started this conversation._ But now is already too late because Angela will not rest until she knows what happened.

"Since what Frankie?" They stare at each other and when Frankie doesn't say anything, Angela moves further and grabs Frankie's hands with hers, starting to rob some circles on them. Frankie knows exactly what she is doing, but can't get out, just like when he was a kid.

"You know mothers know things…And they only want to help their children. You can tell me anything you want you know? I won't be mad…" Angela can be very persuasive and Frankie can't hold on too much.

"I kissed her, ok? Please, don't make a fuss about this like Jane did!"

"You told Jane before telling me?" Frankie sighs. He should already know that kissing Maura is not the biggest problem to his mother. She always wants to be the first one to now things. Well, anything.

"Yeah, we were talking and suddenly I felt the need to tell her, you know? She's Maura's best friend and I thought that she could talk to her and maybe discover why she has been avoiding me." Angela is about to say something when she spots Maura from the corner of her eye entering the precinct and walking to the elevators.

She points in her direction and Frankie looks behind him. He studies her figure, so calm and confident, and yet so mysterious. That's why he fell in love with her. "You should talk to her. Right now. Don't waste any time, kid!" Angela gets back to work, kissing Frankie goodbye, leaving him alone on the table. He looks back one more time and sees the lift door closing in front of Maura. He tries to focus his attention on her eyes, and for a moment their eyes met, but he can't move. He watches the door close, feeling his breathing increase.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: You know I own nothing**_

Frankie gets down the stairs to the morgue. In a normal situation he would take the elevator, but right now he wants to have some extra time to think about the exact words he will say when he sees her. He leans against the wall trying to even his breathing. _You can do this. Just tell her what you feel. It doesn't matter if she doesn't feel the same._ But he knows that's not true. He pushes the door open and turns right. He gets at the door of her office and stops. Takes a deep breath and starts walking again. _Slowly_.

She is looking down at her computer, eyes focused on the screen and a little frown on her forehead is making her look adorable.

"Maura?" Frankie appears at the door, trying not to spook her. She lifts her head quickly and her green eyes open wide. She closes the laptop and stands up straight really fast. She's a little bit pale, Frankie can tell, and she looks tired. She is wearing her coat, even though is not that cold in there. She is speechless and Frankie gets in the room, closing the door behind him.

"Maura, we have to talk. Just listen to me, okay? I didn't mean to cause you any harm and I hate to see you like this. You don't look good. You can talk to me. I can step away too, if that's what you want, but _please_ tell me what's wrong." Frankie hasn't moved closer to her and she is still behind her desk. Her hands are shaking and she is trying to find the right words. After a second that looks like hours of silence, Maura speaks, unexpectedly.

"Frankie… I-We… c-can't…" She has a knot in her throat and she starts to stutter, unable to control it. Frankie runs to her and hugs her, but Maura doesn't move her arms. She doesn't move anything for a bit, and when Frankie starts to pull back, she suddenly hugs him back, and starts to cry. Letting the weight in her chest disappear. She holds onto Frankie like she never did before, allowing her tears to fall down her face. She stops shaking after a moment and Frankie steps away to look at her red and swollen eyes, still teary. He cups her face with his hands and he can feel the desire to kiss her right there, but he doesn't move. Maura is grabbing Frankie's arms like if they were a salvation buoy, preventing her from drowning. Frankie can't resist her beauty. Everything about this woman makes him crazy. He catches a warm tear that's rolling down her cheek and his fingers move down her neck and up to her jaw until they reach her chin. He pulls her chin up forcing her to make eye contact with his brown eyes and closes the space between them. Their lips touch. At first the kiss is gentle, but when Frankie moves his left hand to the back of her neck and pulls her closer to him, they gasp in unison, both breathless. There is passion now, and love, and trust, and they kiss like it's the last time. Maura is almost sited on her desk when Frankie moves his hand down her waist making her jump instantly. Her right hand goes to his chest, pulling him back, and she tries to catch her breath. She stares at him, expressing some worry that Frankie can't understand. He moves his hand from her waist to her back and that's what makes her click. She pushes him away with both hands, still out of breath. Frankie feels a wave of concern and anger. He is angry with himself for not giving her the space she needed. _I can't force her to like me, to… love me._

Maura lays her forearms in the back of the chair in front of the desk, starring down at the floor.

"I'm sorry." He says, frozen in his spot, trying to see her eyes through her blonde hair that falls down her face. He gains the courage to approach her, but she straights up and turns around, putting her hand in front of him.

"Frankie, I'm sorry. It was not my intention to mess with your feelings, but it looks like I did, and… I'm sorry. We can't do this, we're co-workers, it's against the rules and you know I can't break the rules so _please_ … don't do this." She looks down, a failed attempt to hide the tears that are falling down.

"Maura, I don't care about the rules!" He says, getting a little bit closer. "All I care about is this strange and wonderful connection that we seem to have, but I don't want you to tell me you feel the same I just… I want you to let me be here with you. _For_ you! I know you're hiding something serious and we all already noticed, but when we ask you, you change the subject, like you always do when something is bothering you. You didn't even tell Jane!"

"I don't have to tell her everything!"

"No, you don't. But you're not alone. You have people who care about you. Please, let us help you."

"I'm fine, Frankie."

"Maura…"

"Frankie, stop, okay? I told you! I'm fine and I don't…"

"It's about Ian, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Jane told me about him."

"That's my personal life, so it's none of your business!" This comes out with a bit of bitterness and she immediately regrets it. She turns to sit on the couch and he follows her. She sits, covering her face with her hands, elbows on her legs, fingers massaging her tempers.

"It is if it makes you sad!"

"You don't have to take care of me, Frankie! I know how to do it!" She doesn't look at him and this makes Frankie explode.

"It doesn't seem so, you know? You're not getting any sleep, you're always distracted. You look sick and… _God_ , Maura! We all think you have a serious illness that you don't what to talk about." He lets this out in one breath, feeling his heart pounding, waiting for her answer. She looks at his sad and worried brown eyes, a little teary. He has turned his back to her so she doesn't see him cry. _Why did I let this situation get this far?_ , she thinks. Her mouth is dry and she fights the urge to tell him everything.

"You think I'm ill?"

He turns back to face her with red eyes and a little bit of hope that this is all a big misunderstanding. "Aren´t you?"

"No." She sighs, rubbing her hands on her knees. "I-I just have been so overwhelmed with…" _No! I can't! It would be too much for him, for… both of us. I'll take care of this by myself._

"With?..."

"With my resignation. I'm leaving Boston."

Jane sits at her desk looking around at nothing in specific. She's worried about Maura, thinking about Cassey and wondering if Frankie is mad at her. She's biting the end of her pen when Korsak arrives with a set of hot coffee for all of them.

"A penny for your thoughts?" He has come up to her desk and the first thing she sees his the coffee cup with her name.

"I'll give you the lottery money if you bring me coffee every single day."

"You don't play!"

"Too bad for you!" They chuckle. Korsak sits at his desk and brings some fills in front of him. Jane is already distracted, playing with her pen, while pretending to read something from a file.

"So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you or do I have to guess?"

"I think you already know."

"Maura." They say in perfect unison.

"I'm really worried about her, you know? She normally tells me everything or at least I'm able to see what's going on so she doesn't have to take care of whatever it is on her own, but now…"

"You can't." Korsak completes. Jane looks defeated, leaning back on her chair. "We're all thinking about the same right?"

Korsak stares at the floor, nodding his head, tangling his fingers.

"What if she is sick? What if she is sick and she doesn't want to worry us and is trying to get through the illness alone?"

"You have to give her some space. She will come to us."

"When?! When she is dead?" Jane loses her temper for a second and Korsak knows he can't bring up this subject in the next few hours without an argument about who's wrong and who's right. So he just turns to his desk and goes back to work.

Frost enters the bullpen in this precise moment. He hears Jane sentence and he knows that they are talking about Maura. He grabs his coffee and heads to his desk. They've been having this conversation for about two weeks and Maura hasn't said a word. In this moment, the conversation is in standby. Neither of them wants to continue. After a moment of silence, momentarily filled by the sound of the keyboard keys, Frost clears his throat and looks at Jane.

"You should talk to her." Korsak keeps writing, but manages to look up at Frost to see if he is the next one to get killed by Jane's frustration.

"I did. Several times. She closes herself in a bubble and…"

"I don't mean that kind of talk. We all tried the 'Are you ok' thing and we know that doesn't work. What you need to do is to just sit near her. You don't talk, you don't ask. Just sit. She will talk to you."

"How do you know?" Jane is a little bit skeptical about this approach system, but she is willing to try if it means helping Maura.

"You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course." She smiles simply.

"Then go be with her."

"Resignation? What-What happened? Why are you leaving?"

"I-I got a job offer." Her hand goes automatically to her neck, but she stops it abruptly. _Urticaria, Maura. You're not getting urticaria crisis! Focus!_

Frankie can't believe it. He feels has if a hole has opened under his feet. He feels his heart stop beating, his hands going cold. _She's leaving._ _It can't be real_.

"Where? When-When are you leaving?!"

"Next week." _Focus Maura._

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because…because…" Maura is not taking it anymore. She needs to get out of there. Out of the room that is suffocating her. Out of Frankie's sight. She can't control her breathing, her hands are sweating and she can feel the blood pumping in her brain. _Just stand up and leave. Stand up and leave!_ She stands up really fast, ready to get out, but her head is too heavy and her legs don't move. She has her eyes locked on Frankie's and she can see him walking slowly towards her before her eyelids close completely, her legs lose strength and, through a ringing that is echoing in her ears, she can hear Frankie's voice.

"Maura!" he screams.

 _ **Hey everyone! I don't know if there's someone out there who's really enjoying this story, but let me just tell you that I really love Rizzles (only in fanfiction but still) and that I had this plot in my mind for a very long time so I had to put it out, okay? I'm not doing to tell you to not review what you think, but don't forget that I'm human. I'm doing this for so many reasons, but mainly for fun, because I love Rizzoli & Isles, and to overcome this sadness because the show is over and because writing helps me to flush out my emotions.**_

 _ **Love!**_

 _ **Liv**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi everyone! I'M SORRY I TOOK SO LONG! Thank you so much for all your support. I know some of you don't like what I'm writing, but to be honest, as long as I have at least one person who likes this, I will not let all of that hate keep me from continue. I'll try to update every Saturday, but university and life might get in the way! Sorry! But, I'll not abandon this, okay? I will probably use some scenes and lines from the show, but I'll try to be as original as possible. So, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: You know I own nothing (Yet!)**_

Frankie grabs Maura by her waist before she hits the ground. He struggles with her unconscious body in his arms, until he can lay her down on the couch. The scream called the attention of everyone in the lab and the assistants are now running to the office, stopping when they reach the door, mouthing something that Frankie can't hear. Susie takes a step further, but Kent grabs her by the elbow and shakes his head. Frankie checks her pulse and breathing, and a wave of cold sweat shoots through his body. He shivers and cries for help, but it's only when Jane pierces the small crowd barricading the door and kneels down beside him that he hears his last scream for help.

"She's… She just…", his voice is weak and he has a knot in his throat. Jane checks Maura's pulse just like Frankie did and lets out a sigh of relief when she feels something. Weak, but is something.

"She's okay, she's okay…" Jane says, cupping her brother's face with her hands. He is holding back tears, she can see that, and can't help it but smile.

He is holding her hand and stroking her hair while Jane is trying to wave everyone out off the door, letting only Kent and Susie be nearby. She's passing the room from the door to the couch, looking at Maura's face once in a while.

"Why are they taking so long!" Frankie raises his voice a bit and holds Maura's hand a little stronger. Jane doesn't know what to answer. She just wants to kick everything around her. _Maybe not! Maura would sue me if I ruined her mahoopanist cabinet._ Frankie has leaned is head on Maura's shoulder and is mumbling something in her ear, never letting go of her hand.

All of a sudden, Maura trembles under Frankie's body and he jumps at this feeling. Her eyes go wide open, but close again. Jane runs to the couch calling for her friend, but Maura remains with her eyes shut and trying to move, her body heavy and numb. She rolls her head to her right side and when she finally opens her eyes she sees Frankie starring at her with tears in his eyes threatening to fall.

"Wha- Whe- am I?" They barely understand what she is saying and Jane has to lean even harder against the back of the couch to hear her.

"Maura? Can you hear me?" Jane goes around the couch and kneels again beside Frankie, rubbing her friend's leg.

"Just squeeze Frankie's hand if you can hear us, ok?"

A squeeze. Weak, but it's just what Frankie needs to let go of a tear that was threatening to come out for a long time.

Maura is blinking, the brightness in the room burning her eyes. Her head is pounding and she manages to bring her hand to her forehead and eyes, blocking the light. She tries to move again, but feels a strong hand pushing her down again. She doesn't have enough strength right now, so she chooses not to fight.

"Jane, what is she saying?" Maura's mumbling something that resembles a drunk's speech. She hears Frankie voice and immediately understands that she's not making any sense. She clears her throat and tries again.

"Help me to sit", she says with a hoarse voice and Jane raises her eyebrows, not recognizing her friend's tone. They are frozen on their spots on the ground and when Maura makes a sound of annoyance and starts turn on her right side to sit, they move at the same time to grab her arms and help her sit up.

Frankie hasn't dropped her hand yet, and when she looks up, two pairs of brown eyes are staring at her, concern in their faces.

"I think I had a vasovagal syncope." Jane starts to laugh, but Frankie has no clue what a _vaso-something_ is or why his sister is acting like this. But when he looks at Maura she is laughing too, a little smile on her lips. She slides her left hand down to her side to grab the hand that Jane has landed on the couch. Jane looks up and stops smiling almost suddenly.

"I'm fine. See? I was just a little bit nervous and you know how my body reacts when I'm nervous. My heart rate and blood pressure dropped suddenly and that leads to reduced blood flow to the brain, causing a briefly loss of consciousness…"

She is not spouting a random fact quickly has she normally does, almost in a breath. She is calmly explaining this to Jane and she would continue if Frankie didn't interrupt her.

"You scared me, Maura." She looks at him as if his voice makes her aware of his presence. He's looking down at her hand, small and soft in his own, and Maura hasn't the courage to ask him anything. The room is filled with an awkward silence, but she is saved by the bell when two paramedics step into her office with their bags, smiling childishly.

"You called 911?" Her voice goes up a little bit more that she predicted, as she looks back, noticing the figures of Kent and Susie like status by the door. _How long have they been there in silent?_ Frankie sits beside her and moves her hand to his lap, but Maura is too angry with the course of this situation to even notice it.

"And they did very good! What's your name?" The female paramedic is not older than 25, her light brown hair pulled back into a pony tail.

"Maura. Isles. I'm a doctor, I know…"

"Yes, but let us do our job, okay? Forget about that for a moment and relax." Her smile is so warm that Maura has not the courage to say no. _Maybe that's her strategy_. It works. "Let me check your blood pressure, please." Maura stretches her left arm to her and she slides the cuff up her arm and sets it in place.

"Uh, Sir. I'm going to need to measure Dr. Isles' glycemia levels. Could you…" The other paramedic looks like a teenager boy that came out of medical school that morning. A baby face with messy hair. He is really nervous, probably more than Jane that started to bite her nails unconsciously.

Frankie looks at the paramedic and his face is clueless until he feels Maura's hand move underneath his own. He changes his look to Maura, and then to their hands, and separates them for the first time, lifting his hand.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay." Maura says, a grin appearing on her lips, as she gives her hand to the fragile one of the boy in front of her. She feels a tiny sting on her finger and a little later the sound of the small device echoes through the silent room telling the exam is over. She can't take her eyes off of Frankie's and her mouth moves to say something only to be interrupted by the female paramedic.

She accepts the diabetes monitor from the other paramedic and checks the result. "Your levels of glycemia are normal, Dr. Isles," she says, before looking at the monitor in her right hand, "but your blood pressure is a little bit low. You have…"

"I know. I'll take the precautions needed. Thank you." The paramedic looks at her, but doesn't say anything. She nods and they grab their materials, walking out of the room as fast as they came in.

As they pass by Kent and Susie, Jane follows them, exchanging a look with Susie and Kent in an attempt of telling them that they need to be alone with Maura. Susie catches her message and grabs Kent's harm, pulling him out of the room. Jane closes the door, letting her forehead rest on the cold wood. Now is the time. She has to talk to Maura. She locks the door and the sound of the key turning on the door lock makes Maura look back. Their eyes intersect when Jane starts to walk towards them and sits down on the coffee table facing Maura. Her head is bowed. She's thinking about the right words and Maura knows this has reached a point of no-return. She has to come clean with her friends. Running away is stupid, she knows it. She knew, but it was so much easier. But now, looking at Jane and Frankie, their worried expressions and deep concern stamped on their faces, she knows it's the right time. The right time to face what comes after this.

"Maura…" Jane starts, but gets interrupted when Maura grabs both her hands.

"Tonight, ok? I'll explain it tonight." She looks quickly at Frankie and it's the first time she notices his teary eyes. One of her hands move from Jane's to Frankie's hands and he squeezes it, smiling. A sad smile, though. "My place. Bring everyone if they are available."

They nod.

 _08:30pm_

They will arrive at any moment now. Everyone. Every single one of them. Her friends. She's terrified and yet grateful, because she knows she has the best friends in the world. _I shouldn't have let things reach this point._ Jane said that they would bring everything for dinner. She would only have to set the table. And so she did. At 7 pm. Now Maura is passing the room from the table to the hallway, checking the clock every minute, counting the seconds. There's no turning back. The doorbell rings and Maura shivers. She locks at the table one more time to see if everything is in the right place. _Just in case._ She walks slowly to the door and pushes the door open.

"Hey Doctor! Gotta put this in the fridge!" Korsak gives her a quick and warm hug before heading to the fridge and get a place for the two bottles of wine. Frost, Kent and Susie are right behind him. They all give her a warm hug, struggling a little with the bags full of food in their arms.

"Oh, this is going to be great. We have food for every taste…"

"… and from every country!" Jane says, interrupting Kent. She steps in the hallway giving her best friend a warm and tight hug. "You told me to bring them all. Hope you don't regret in the end. You know how messy we are." They separate to look at each other.

"It's perfect."

"Hey." _Frankie._ Maura doesn't need to look outside to see that he is running towards the door. "Hey," He says again and Maura can't see how Jane chuckles on her way to the kitchen to leave them alone. That's probably the only thing he can say right now and Maura feels her blushing when she hears the nervousness in his voice.

"Hi." She has been holding the door to keep her balance, as her friends passed next to her filling her house with noise and joy.

"May I come in?" Is question wakes her up finally and she let's go of the door.

"Oh! Of course." Their body language is more discreet than the others. They don't hug or kiss. They just stare at each other, as if looking into each other's eyes was enough. In fact, it is. They only need a few seconds to understand what's underneath that mask of confidence that made him arrive at her house as if nothing had been going on, as if he was not worried. If she was able to read all of her friends just like she is doing with Frankie, she is sure that all of them are terribly and deeply concerned about her, behind all that strength and happiness. Maura doesn't need to say anything. Frankie reaches his arm to touch her shoulder. His hand gives it a little squeeze and she lets go of the air she has been holding. _I'm here with you. For you._ That's what his eyes are saying. However, their moment and her train of thought gets interrupted when Angela opens the back door and comes in, a wave of loud greetings filling the air.

The table is loud. Everyone seems to be cross talking to someone really far away. Maura is just listening. Listening Korsak telling Angela about a dog the he rescued the other day and how that dog had puppies and the funny story of finding a home for them. Jane and Frost are debating something about files and computers, probably work related while Kent and Susie are showing each other their new favorite music or band. Maura's eyes round the table. She looks at her friends and smiles. She is not alone. Not anymore, no matter what. She will never understand why her first thought was to run away. A hand comes to touch hers and she looks at her left, meeting with Frankie's brown eyes.

"Don't think about it. Whatever it is we're here for you." And now she has all the courage to stand up and speak. She doesn't need to hit the glass with her fork or clear her throat, because as soon as she starts to move to get up, everyone falls silent like they were expecting for something to happen, engrossed in their conversations, but never forgetting what brought them there in the first place.

She is standing up facing her friends, feeling the oxygen being sucked from the air as she inhales deeply. She looks down and squeezes Frankie's hand.

"First of all, thank you for coming. I know you've been worried about me, but you don't have to be. I'm not… I mean, not like I was in the beginning. I stopped being worried when I saw you coming through the door earlier this evening. Your warm hugs made me feel like I have a family. A real one." She takes a deep breath, feeling tears forming in her eyes. "Sometimes I forget that I don't have to solve all of my problems on my own."

 _Silence._

She makes sure she can see everyone of them and looks them in the eyes before she speaks again.

"I don't have a disease."

There's a general sensation of weigh being lifted from the atmosphere and they release their breaths, suddenly relived.

"I'm pregnant."

Once again, everyone stops breathing.

 _ **I told you I was going to own something! This one got bigger than I imagined! A gift for having to wait so much! If you have any questions, suggestions or opinions feel free to tell me, but don't forget I'm human, please. Sorry if I missed out some grammatical errors or something else! I'm working on it! Let me know if you prefer small chapters or bigger chapters, okay? Next chapter tomorrow!**_

 _ **Love!**_

 _ **Liv**_


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